Steam generating attachment for electric irons



July 20, 1948. A BA ER 2,445,506

STEAM GENERATING ATTACHMENT FOR ELECTRIC IRONS Filed Nov. 15, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Vl/a/zer- E Baker BY 2' %%z /6MM July 20', 1948. w. E. BAKER 2,445,506

STEAM GENERATING ATTACHMENT FOR ELECTRIC IRONS Filed Nov. 15, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. Vl/a/ far 5 Baker- BY w-wawmm? I Patented July 20, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STEAM GENERATING ATTACHMENT FOR ELECTRIC IRONS Walter E. Baker, Boaz, Ala.

Application November 15, 1946, Serial No. 710,042

4 Claims. (01. 38-77) This invention relates to a new and improved attachmentfor an electric iron and more particularly and specifically to a steam generating attachment of which the following is a specifica tion.

The primary object of this invention resides in .the provision of a steam generating attachment which may be quickly and easily applied to aconventional electric iron .as is used today for the purpose of utilizing the pressing heat of the iron for generating steam and directing it onto the fabric being pressed.

Another object of this invention is the provision of an attachment of the character described which is adapted to'be applied to an iron of any angular shape or size for thefunctional operation heretofore set forth.

Still another object of this invention resides in the provision of an iron attachment of the character described which is of more simple design than those attachments now in use and this attachment does not interfere with the pressing surface of the iron as do the present attachments but acts in cooperation with it.

Still a further object of this invention is the provision of an iron attachment as described which is extremely simple in design with a minimum of parts thus enabling inexpensive manufacture and readily'available market prices making the attachment accessible to the general public.

Still further improvements'and advantages of this invention will readily appear to those skilled in the art when the following description is read in the light of the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an iron with the attachment in place thereon.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of onehalf section of the attachment.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the attachment.

Fig. 5 is a bottom'plan View of the attachment.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of this invention and in which like numerals indicate similar parts throughout A designates a conventional electric iron consisting of an angular shaped heating element housing I, a handle 2 and electrical inlet 3.

The steam generating attachment B, which is adapted to fit any iron of this conventional type comprises two curved members 4 and 5 which are so formed as to have the same general curvature as to housing of the conventional electr c iron. This housing consists of a rectangular hollow body 6 which is divided into two sections by a division plate 1 substantially one-fourth the length of said housing from the frontend thereof. A hollow U-shaped passage 8 which is secured to the upper surface of the housing '6 in such a position as to straddle the division plate 7 acts as jump passage between the two sections of the housing 6 being open thereinto. A threaded aperture 9 is provided inthe housing '6 to extend in the rear section thereof and is adapted to threadedly receive a cap Ill securely closing said aperture.

The front section of the housing 6 is provided at its forward lower end with a plurality of vents II which face downwardly through the bottom of that section. When the after section of the housing 6 is filled with water [2 through the aperture =9 the attachment is placedon the iron by the means hereafter to be described, where the heat of the iron vaporizes the water 12 and its increased pressure causesit to jump over the division section I to the passage 8 into the forward section of the housing} where it emits through the vent openings ll downwardly onto the fabric being pressed by the iron. The attachmerit as is illustrated and has been described is formed by two identical opposite members 4 and 5 which are constructed as illustrated and set forth for housing 6 which are adapted to be placed upon an electric iron in the manner to be described.

The rearward end of each of said housings is provided with a horizontal threaded bore 13, which is adapted to threadedly receive a set screw i4 thereinto. A set screw 14 is placed at each end of an expansible locking strap l5 which is longitudinally adjustable to adapt it to fit any sized iron This strap is positioned horizontally across the back of the iron in such a position as. to allow the set screws l4 to engage and securely grasp the bores l3 in the after end of each of said members. This operation secures the members 4 and 5 at the after ends thereof to the iron.

The forward ends of each of said members 4 and 5 are provided with a channelled slot [Band a threaded bore Him the inner vertical face of each of said slots. A flexible band l8 provided with set screws I9 is adapted to be placed in the slot 16 in such a position as to allow the set screws l9 to threadedly engage the bores l1 within the face of the slot thereby securely clamping the two forward ends of the members 4 and 5 in close spaced relationship with one another leaving suificient space therebetween for limited adjustment of the angle between the members 4 and 5 adapting them in such a manner to be fitted to irons with the sides of varied angularlty relationship.

Additionally a raised button 20 is carried on the inner face of each of the members 4 and 5 at a predetermined point thereon which is adapted for detented engagement with a detent in the surface of the iron housing I at a corresponding position thereon for the purpose of furthering the operation of rigidly securing the members 4 and 5 in their attachment to the iron.

It is to be understood that these members 4 and 5 are secured to the iron, as illustrated, in such a position so that their lower curved bottom 2| lies in an adjacent horizontal plane or substantially in the same general plane with the flat pressing bottom of the iron thereby positioning the vents ll therein in such a position as to directly disperse the steam in said members onto the fabric being pressed, the curved bottom of said members preventing any engagement with the fabric thereby causing conditions such as wrinkles or creases in the fabric which would be unfavorable and a hindrance to the pressing surface of the iron.

Thus it may be seen that a quickly applied and removed steam generating attachment for an electric iron is provided which is of the simplest and least possible expensive design and construction, and which is quickly and easily operated to perform the function for which it is provided at the highest maximum efficiency and with the best possible performance.

Having thus described and explained the con struction and functional operation of this invention and with full belief that any variation in size, shape and structural features would not depart from the spirit of this invention what I desire to claim in Letters Patent is:

1. In a steam generating attachment for an electric iron, comprising a pair of identically opposite curved hollow housings fitting against the curved side walls of an electric iron body, there beinga division plate dividing each curved hollow housing into two separate sections and the one or first of the latter in each housing being adapted to receive and vaporize water, external passage means interconnecting the one or first and the other of the two sections in each housing, and means adapting said other 0f said two sections in each housing to receive through said external passage the vapor generated in the one or first section in said housing and direct said vapor onto the fabric being pressed by the iron, the features including a flexible band securely interconnecting the forward ends of said curved housings adapting them to assume varied angular relationships to each other, locating means on the inner curved surfaces of both hollow housings serving to co-operate with corresponding cating means in the side walls of said iron body, and a flexible band serving to span the rear end of the latter and interconnect the rear ends of said hollow housings and thereby removably secure the latter to said iron adjacent its side walls with the curved bottoms thereof adjacent to and substantially in the same planewith the pressing surface of said iron.

2. A steam generating attachment for an electric iron of the character described, comprising a pair of identically opposite hollow curved members of substantially rectangular cross-section adapted to coincide with outer contour of the side walls of said iron, a flexible band securely interconnecting the forward ends of said hollow curved members adapting them to be varied in angular relationship to one another, raised buttons on the inner curved surface of each of said members adapted for engagement with a corresponding detent in each of the side walls of said iron, a threaded bore on the back wall of each of said members, and a flexible band having a set screw at each end thereof for engaging individually in the threaded bores in the back walls of said members serving to interconnect the rearward ends of the latter members while spanning the back of said iron and removably securing said members to said iron adjacent its side walls with the curved bottom adjacent to and substantially in the same plane with the pressing surface of said iron.

3. A steam generating attachment for an electric iron according to claim 2 wherein each of the hollow curved members has a division plate dividing it internally at substantially one-fourth of its length from the front end thereof, and has a U-shaped hollow member secured to the upper surface of each hollow curved member serving to interconnect the two sections thereof by jumping the division plate therebetween, the rearward and larger section of each hollow curved member being provided with a water filling hole which has a removable airtight cap, and the forward section in each hollow curved member being provided with vents in its bottom penetrating therethrough and adapted to direct the steam generated in the respectively adjacent rear section and conducted into the forward section through said U-shaped hollow member onto the fabric being pressed by said iron.

4. A steam generating attachment for an electric iron according to claim 2 wherein each of the hollow curved members has a division plate dividing it internally at substantially one-fourth of its length from the front end thereof, and has a U-shaped hollow member secured to the upper surface of each hollow curved member serving to interconnect the two sections thereof by jumping the division plate therebetween, the rearward and larger section of each hollow curved member being provided with a water filling hole which has a removable airtight cap, and the forward section in each hollow curved member being provided with vents in its bottom penetrating therethrough and adapted to direct the steam generated in the respectively adjacent rear section and conducted into the forward section through said U-shaped hollow member onto the fabric bein pressed by said iron, and wherein the U-shaped hollow member jumping or bridging the division plate between the rearward and forward sections of each hollow curved member serves to prevent the splash of water from said rearward section into said forward section.

WALTER E. BAKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,180,114 Durand Apr. 18, 1916 

